Deja Vu
by CPegasus
Summary: I remember the time I knew what happiness was let the memory live again She looks exactly like the girl he used to know. Why shouldn't he let himself relive that time, just once?


"I remember the time I knew what happiness was, let the memory live again" --Cats, Andrew Lloyd Webber

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Another day, another fancy, expensive, boring party, full of fussy adults and without a clown or balloon in sight. Pegasus grabbed a glass of wine from the tray of a passing butler, toasting the sky in reverence of whatever god had decided to invent it.

Just as he was taking his first sip, Pegasus felt a hard slap on the back. He choked on the drink, spewing a fine mist of red out of his mouth.

"Oops, sorry bout that one!" The large man standing behind him gave Pegasus another good-natured smack on the shoulder. "Y'enjoying yourself?"

Pegasus smiled through clenched teeth. "Yes, of course, Charles."

"I told ya, Maxie! Call me Chuck!"

"Yes...Chuck..." Pegasus drained the rest of his wine.

"Well don't just stand here all day! It's a party!" Chuck clapped Pegasus on the shoulder again, nearly knocking the smaller man down. "An' I invited a special little lady just for you." Wiggling his eyebrows, he pointed over to the edge of his large, imposing lawn. Pegasus closed his eyes momentarily. "Ain't she a doll?"

"Yes, of course. Listen, Charl—Chuck, I really should be going."

"Aw, now you've gotta stay. Alright, how bout this—I'll go mingle some more, but you gotta still be around when I get back to you. Deal? Deal." With another large, overly-toothy grin and a wave, Chuck wandered off to bother another of his guests.

The moment he was out of earshot, Pegasus sighed. _Why do I even go to his parties?_ He wondered.

Ever since the tournament, business had been falling ever-so-slightly for Industrial Illusions. It was hardly enough to worry about, in his opinion, but a few stressed-out press people had decided that the best way to fix the problem was to send him anywhere they could think of where he wouldn't have any fun.

Hands in his pockets, Pegasus strolled around the yard, noting the several superfluous fountains and topiaries he came across. Small clusters of men and women in suits and gowns littered the place. He saw with a small grin that the groups tended to split up when Charles walked by.

He was just tossing around the idea of calling Croquet to give him an excuse to leave early, when he stopped dead in his tracks.

Suddenly, his mind was light-years away, far in the past. At a party just like this one. Except that the men and women were taller, and the scene colored by the perception of a beautiful memory. It had been nearly twenty years since then, and yet he was there again in a moment.

Just as before, he stood speechless in front of a girl. Blonde hair curled around her round face, as she stood talking and laughing. Pale blue eyes sparkled with her happiness. There were differences too, of course. The dress she wore was green and simple, rather than the frilled blue number he remembered. And both of the characters in the scene were much, much older.

"Didn't I tell ya she was a beaut?" Pegasus was knocked forward again as Charles snuck up behind him. "It's about time you found another gal, isn't it? I knew you'd love 'er."

Pegasus' fist clenched involuntarily, and he pushed Charles' arm away from him. "I appreciate it, but you really shouldn't have."

"Ah, come on, Maxie. Go on, talk to her."

Never one for subtlety, Charles pushed Pegasus a touch harder than the latter was expecting. He lost his balance over a small pebble on the grass, and fell directly at the girl's feet.

"Oh!" She quickly threw a hand over her mouth, to stifle a giggle. When she had settled herself, she extended it. "Here, let me help."

Pegasus took her hand and lifted himself up, dusting off his signature red suit. "Well, that wasn't exactly how I'd planned on making an entrance."

"It works." She smiled. The resemblance was uncanny between this girl and the one he used to know. She even had attached earlobes. What were the chances of another blonde, blue-eyed girl at a party with attached earlobes?

"I don't think I caught your name," Pegasus said, bringing her hand to his lips before letting it fall.

A light blush crept across her smiling cheeks. "Ah, it's Cordelia. But no one calls me that. Just Jane, please, it's my middle name."

"But Cordelia is a beautiful name. Just right for a lovely lady."

She laughed, flushing even more. "My father thought so. But my mother knew better. She always said that I'd be made a fool of if I didn't have a normal name to fall back on. It's plain, but it's better than 'Cordelia'."

"Well, if you insist, Jane. I'm—"

"Maximillion Pegasus," she finished for him. "How could I not know you? The weird rich man who built himself a castle. And from my hometown, too! Everyone talked about it."

"You're from Vegas?"

"Well, just outside. But the point is. Everyone wanted to boast about knowing this crazy man, the name got thrown around all over the place. I'd have to have lived under a rock not to know your name, even if I never saw you before in my life, but I did. Do you remember coming back a few years ago? There was that whole ridiculous ceremony, where they honored you? I still can't for the life of me figure out why! But in any case, I was there watching."

Pegasus only half-listened to her chatter. His painter's eye was taking in every aspect of her appearance. She wasn't tall; her head only came up to about the second button on his coat. Though her hair did make her appear taller. It billowed around her face, tied in the back with a ribbon to match her dress. He studied the way her eyes squinted when she talked, and how one of her teeth was longer than the rest.

"...and of course I told him to leave me alone, I don't know what he—you aren't even listening to me, are you?" Jane put her hands on her hips, tossing her head in irritation.

"Hm? Oh, of course, yes."

"Oh you were not." But she smiled a bit as she chided him. "Some gentleman you are."

"Cordelia!" She winced as she heard her name called. Pegasus looked past her to see a man sauntering towards them.

"My father," she explained, as he came up to her. "And I told you not to call me that..."

"Nonsense, darling." He kissed his daughter's cheek before holding out his hand to Pegasus. "Evening. Fred Dodin. Been to many of Chuck's parties? I don't know that I've seen you before."

"Ah, no, not really." Pegasus shook his hand. "Have you?"

"Well..." Fred looked around with exaggerated motions. "Not if I can help it. He's not much of an entertainer, but he throws a helluva party."

"Dad, please." Jane put a hand up to her face, rubbing her forehead.

"Perhaps I should be going. I wouldn't want to keep your lovely daughter." Pegasus nodded his head in Jane's direction, and she reached out for his hand.

"Oh, don't, please. I'm not bothering you, am I? I'd love to stay and talk a little more."

"Cordelia, please. Don't harass the man," Fred said with a laugh.

"She isn't," said Pegasus, waving his hand in the air, unconcerned. "If she would like to stay—"

"I would. See you later, dad." And Jane took Pegasus' arm, and pulled him over to a more secluded spot in the yard. Pegasus only looked down at her arm in amazement.

"What," she asked, when they had gone far enough away to blot out some of the ambient sound, "I don't look strong?"

"Your looks are deceiving," he replied with a smile.

She laughed softly, and looked down. "Look, I'm gonna be blunt." She took a short breath and let it out in a rush of air. "I'm on break from college for the next few weeks. Do you want to get together and do something?"

"Ah, no," said Pegasus, before he could think. He quickly tried to make up for it, when he saw Jane's face fall. "I mean, I'm sorry. But I've too much work, and too many long years behind me."

"You think I'm too young, don't you?"

"No, it's just..." Pegasus cleared his throat. "I don't need to explain myself. Now, if you'll excuse me, I should be getting back."

Jane stepped into his path the second he started to move. "Come on, please? I'll buy you one dinner, one. I just want some more time to hang out with the local hero."

"I can't."

"Just once?"

Pegasus stopped just short of refusing her again. He was planning to. Absolutely planning to. It hadn't even crossed his mind to not refuse her, until he looked at those big blue eyes.

Sparkling blue eyes pleading with him not to go.

"Alright," he said, after a pause. "Just once."

Jane's face lit up again. "You got it. Get out of here, then. I'll call you?"

"Allow me the honor." Pegasus grinned, and took her number. They parted, and Pegasus quickly called for his limo. There was no longer any reason to stay.

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Dearest Cecilia,

If you've been reborn, I wish you'd have told me. If you haven't, I hope that you'll forgive me one little indulgence. It has been so long since I've seen your face. But now this girl appears to me, out of the blue, reminding me so much of the way you were when we were together.

I would never stop thinking of you, darling. Please know that. I look at her and I only see you. Your eyes, your hair, your beautiful smile. It's uncanny how similar the two of you look. But please, do not worry. I do want to spend time with her, but only to relive the few wonderful memories that I have.

It is late, unfortunately, and I am tired. But trust that I will write to you again. I'll treasure your memory every second, my love. I hope that you know that, wherever you are.

Yours,

Max.

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Dear Diary,

I met him. Finally met him. I kind of can't believe it. I didn't tell him how I kept all those newspaper clippings, or how many hundreds of bucks I spent on his game. But I guess that's probably a good thing.

I am so glad to be off from school. He said he'd go out with me. Only one time, he said, but I bet I can get him to agree to more. He's even better-looking in person.

Yeah, I know. Don't get my hopes up. Still, even if it's only one date. It's not like I'm waiting by the phone or anything. He's gonna call, but I might just have to not pick up the first time. You know, hard to get. We'll see what happens.

God though, I hope he likes me. I hope I didn't talk to much. I always talk too much. I hope he likes me.

Jane


End file.
